You Will Regret This Ichinose! [11]
Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane walked one behind the other on their way back to the student council office.
Having worked together for three years, Tachibana naturally picked up on snippets of Horikita's occasional mentions of having a younger sister.
Earlier, while Horikita seemed to be observing all the students in the grade, his attention had been fixed on one particular seat in Class D.
"Did you notice her? That child."
A trace of helplessness and fondness crossed Horikita Manabu's face.
"Mm-hmm, she's a very beautiful girl. She must be just as outstanding as you, President," Tachibana commented, nodding as she recalled the girl's appearance while clutching her folder.
"No. I don't really want to say this, but she's far from that."
Although he clearly doted on his younger sister, Horikita's serious nature led him to give a straightforward answer.
As her brother, he was fully aware of his sister's significant personality flaws. Learning that she had been placed in Class D hadn't come as much of a surprise.
It seemed Suzune's headstrong nature hadn't changed in the past three years. Horikita couldn't help but worry about whether she would be able to handle the intense competition at Advanced Nurturing High School.
While answering Tachibana's questions, Horikita's thoughts were filled with silent concern for his sister.
Before they realized it, the two had already arrived at the student council office.
Click.
Horikita turned the door handle, opening the office door.
"Oh, are the two of you returning from a date?"
A cheerful voice came from a corner of the office.
Their gaze shifted toward a boy lounging leisurely while flipping through some student council documents.
The boy had short, messy hair that seemed carelessly styled yet fell perfectly into place. He wore the Advanced Nurturing High School uniform on his slender, athletic frame, leaving the top button of his white shirt undone. His bright black eyes gleamed beneath his brows, and his pale but healthy complexion added to his striking appearance. He was, without a doubt, a handsome young man.
Hearing Uesugi Gen's teasing remark about a date, Tachibana's face turned slightly red. She stepped forward, about to protest.
"This student is—"
"Tachibana, this isn't an outsider. He's the new student council member."
Horikita stopped Tachibana with a raised hand just as she was about to step forward.
Tachibana looked at Horikita in confusion. As the student council secretary, how could she be unaware of new members?
Pushing up his glasses calmly, Horikita explained, "Last night, the school administration sent me a notification. They requested that I leave a vice president seat open for a first-year student."
He turned his sharp gaze toward the boy.
"I assume I'm correct—Uesugi Gen from Class 1-B."
Tachibana's face displayed utter disbelief upon hearing this.
"How is that possible? The school has always granted the student council full autonomy. It's unprecedented for them to directly appoint a first-year as vice president."
Unfazed by Tachibana's doubts, Uesugi casually flipped through the budget proposals submitted by various clubs and replied nonchalantly, "Records like these will accumulate over time. By the way, President, could you be quicker when you speak? With your pace, students might start cursing you."
"In any case, that's the situation. I'm the new vice president. Please take care of me, senpai."
Though he said this, Uesugi made no move to stand up, continuing to review the documents where he sat.
Advanced Nurturing High School sure is loaded, he thought, his eyes scanning the figures. Even random clubs get such large sums. Was I too modest last time asking for just 30 million yen?
"Hey, you're a first-year. Show some respect and stand up when talking to your seniors!" Tachibana demanded, clearly dissatisfied.
Horikita, however, didn't seem to mind Uesugi's lack of respect. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat directly across from him, lacing his fingers together under his chin, striking a commanding pose reminiscent of an operations commander.
In a firm voice, he declared, "You may have been appointed by the school, and I cannot oppose the source of the student council's authority. However, the Advanced Nurturing High School student council oversees all aspects of school affairs. Without the skills necessary to handle these responsibilities—"
"—as student council president, I will ensure that during my term, you have no say in the student council's affairs, even if it goes against the school's wishes!"
Smack! That was quick.
Uesugi tossed the document he was holding back onto the desk, revealing a recording pen he had hidden in the pile. He suddenly appeared beside Horikita, his face glowing with amusement as he grabbed both of Horikita's hands.
"President, I recorded that," he announced with a grin. "A promise is a promise. No take-backs."
...
Horikita fell silent for two seconds.
Had he just been outmaneuvered by a first-year?
Tachibana, watching the scene unfold, stood in stunned disbelief.
The president... had been played by a freshman.
As Horikita remained awkwardly silent, Uesugi wasted no time giving him the chance to respond. He promptly bolted.
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. Don't forget our agreement, President!"
"Goodbye!"
With that, he dashed out of the office at top speed.
And then—
He collided head-on with Ichinose Honami.
"Ah... excuse me... Huh?"
"Ha... hahaha... huh?"
Thud!
---
It's common knowledge that noses are at the front of one's face. It's also common knowledge that girls tend to be shorter than boys.
So...
"Ow, ow, ow! Be gentle!"
Uesugi flinched as a cotton swab came closer, an inexplicable sense of dread filling him.
"I'm so sorry, Uesugi-kun. I didn't expect someone to suddenly come out," Ichinose apologized, carefully dabbing at Uesugi's nose with the swab soaked in antiseptic.
"Forget it. Let's just call this a lesson learned—getting too cocky isn't always a good thing," Uesugi muttered, resisting the urge to touch his nose.
"President Horikita, since I got injured outside the student council office, does this count as a workplace injury? Can I get compensated with points?"
"That's not happening."
...
"So, you're applying to join the student council, and you're also a student from Class 1-B."
Horikita Manabu spoke as he flipped through Ichinose Honami's file, all the while discreetly observing the freshman who had just successfully outmaneuvered him.
"Yes, I hope that by joining the student council, I can better help my fellow classmates," Ichinose answered with enthusiasm. Sitting beside Uesugi Gen, she placed her hands nervously on her lap and nodded firmly.
"I see. You were also a member of the student council in middle school and have extensive experience. Your former classmates and teachers spoke very highly of you."
Listening to Horikita's evaluation, Uesugi nodded repeatedly from the side.
Mhm, mhm, she's definitely outstanding.
And then…
"I'm sorry, but your application is rejected."
"What? Say that again!"
Uesugi's voice echoed throughout the student council office as he sprang to his feet, staring directly at Horikita.
"Uesugi-kun, don't do this. Sit down," Ichinose urged, quickly grabbing his hand in an attempt to calm him, though her own eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment.
"While it isn't explicitly stated, to prevent an imbalance of power, the student council generally limits membership to one student per class. Since Class 1-B already has you as its vice president…"
"What kind of nonsense is that? You're practically running an office romance right now!"
"Tachibana is assisting me because the student council president's workload is excessive, and I require an aide to share the responsibilities."
"Well, I'm the vice president too! I need someone to share my workload as well! That means Ichinose—"
"Enough, Uesugi-kun."
A quiet yet firm voice interrupted their heated exchange.
Ichinose tightened her grip on Uesugi's hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
Then, with a composed expression, she turned to Horikita and Tachibana, bowed slightly, and spoke in a calm tone.
"My apologies for the trouble, senpai."
With that, she pulled Uesugi by the hand and silently walked out of the office.
Horikita watched their retreating figures and let out a quiet sigh.
Within the student council, his ideological differences with Vice President Nagumo Miyabi were well known. Nagumo had already begun consolidating the resources of the second-year students, and his next move would likely target the student council itself.
To shield the first-year students from Nagumo's influence, Horikita had chosen to reject Ichinose's application.
As for Uesugi Gen… the way he had so casually recorded their conversation and used it against him made it clear—this first-year student was no ordinary person.
Though there was no concrete evidence, based on his three years of understanding how the administration operated, Horikita had a strong suspicion about the true reason behind Uesugi's sudden appointment as vice president.
However, that didn't concern him much. His primary concern was whether Uesugi would ultimately side with Nagumo.
Out on the street, Ichinose walked ahead in silence while Uesugi trailed a step behind her.
"Come on, you were the one who wanted to join the student council to help your classmates. If you had just pushed a little harder, that stubborn Horikita would've relented. But you just gave up so easily."
Uesugi finally broke the silence.
Ichinose came to an abrupt stop. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Because… I don't want to… I don't want to see you ruining your relationship with your senpai just for my sake."
At that moment, Uesugi noticed something.
The always-smiling girl in front of him…
The girl who had so openly declared yesterday that she wanted to help all her classmates…
The girl who had cheerfully bent down this morning to ask if he needed help…
Somehow, that bright, unshakable smile had disappeared.
All that remained was a girl standing there in silence, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Uesugi remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"I'll go back and apologize to Horikita-senpai. Hopefully, he won't hold a grudge. You should try applying again in two weeks—you'll definitely get in next time."
Ichinose gently pinched the hem of his uniform and shook her head.
"No need, Uesugi-kun. Let's just go back."
"Even without joining the student council, I can still help my classmates."
---
T/N: HES ALREADY FALLING!! QUICK RED ALERT RED ALERT!